Mitchell, Russell among Redskins cuts
By Jody Foldesy
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
From the Sports section
Popular veteran linebacker Kevin Mitchell and wide receiver Cliff Russell headlined the list of cuts yesterday as the Washington Redskins moved to meet tomorrow's 65-player deadline.
Washington didn't make the cuts public, in part because it wanted players to hear from the team first and because several trades were investigated. However, a club source said last night that all 13 players whose fates had been decided had been informed.
NFL rules require Washington to cut a total of 14 players to meet tomorrow's roster limit, and the club was still determining who the 14th would be. A trade sounded unlikely. The Redskins will have 76 players, including 11 exemptions, for Friday's preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons. They then must trim the roster to 53 players by Sunday.
Ten players were confirmed as released: Mitchell, Russell, defensive lineman Nic Clemons, wide receiver Scott Cloman, cornerback Michael Hall, defensive lineman Norman Heuer, wide receiver John Standeford, punter Kevin Stemke, linebacker Billy Strother and defensive lineman Greg White.
None of the other three players is well-known to the public, a club source said. Even though all 13 cuts are fairly logical, coach Joe Gibbs expressed displeasure for having to weed out solid players.
"I hate the process," Gibbs said. "We've got guys that worked their guts out. To me, this is the worst part of what we do. All the guys we had were good guys."
The departures of Mitchell and Russell, a former third-round pick, weren't surprising despite the players' name recognition. Mitchell, 33, slipped down the depth chart this preseason, while Russell, 25, endured a series of injuries during his 2½-year stay and only caught two passes.
Both might be considered casualties of the new staff's mentality. Mitchell's aging legs weakened his case to assistant head coach for defense Gregg Williams, who emphasizes speed above many other traits. And Russell's status as a former high-round draft pick bought him no extra time under Gibbs, who has a track record of cutting lofty selections.
The pair joined safety Ifeanyi Ohalete in a group of fairly high-profile cuts by Gibbs. Ohalete, who started 25 games in 2002 and 2003, was released Aug. 17 and since has become the Arizona Cardinals' starting free safety.
Mitchell, a solid pro who was well-liked by teammates and club officials, was fairly upbeat considering the circumstances. He said the signing of middle linebacker Mike Barrow this spring and the increased playing time of Antonio Pierce this summer left him skeptical about his fate.
"I kind of expected it the way things have been going," Mitchell said. "It kind of prepared me for it. You've got to take the good and the bad."
On a team with near-constant turnover, Mitchell had emerged as one of the old hands. The 2000 free agent pickup started 13 games on Kurt Schottenheimer's 10th-ranked defense in 2001, then played behind Jeremiah Trotter in 2002 and 2003. This spring, a brief window of hope opened when Trotter was told to seek a trade, but the Redskins picked up Barrow.
The future is unclear for Mitchell, who yesterday wasn't thinking about a new team as much as spending a day or two unwinding with his family. His wife, Denise, is expecting their second child in January.
"I've been doing football for a long time," said Mitchell, a 10-year veteran. "I'm going to take a day or two to relax. ... Whatever happens, happens."
Russell, the 87th pick overall in 2002, was released after spending much of this preseason injured. The Redskins drafted him as a project for then-coach Steve Spurrier, hoping he one day would pair NFL polish to go with his blazing speed.
But injuries dogged Russell. The most devastating was a torn ACL, which caused him to miss his entire rookie year and even limited him in 2003. This summer he pulled a hamstring early in camp and appeared in only one preseason game, Friday's 28-3 loss at St. Louis, where he caught no passes.
As he exited, Russell remained somewhat mystified about his series of setbacks.
"I'm not sure what it was," Russell said. "From the time I came here, I just had injury after injury. The only thing I can hope is that it's going to be a thing of the past."
Note -- Washington worked out running back Stacey Mack, who started five games for the Houston Texans last season. Mack's best year came in 2001 with the Jacksonville Jaguars, when he started 11 games and rushed for 877 yards. No signing was imminent, and the Redskins already have a crowded backfield with Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, Sultan McCullough and John Simon vying for two roster spots.
http://insider.washingtontimes.com/arti ... 4513-9267r
Stacey Mack? Why? Is Gibbs that disappointed in our RB's?
Mitchell, Russell Are Among Players Cut
Redskins to Announce Full List Today
By Nunyo Demasio
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 30, 2004; Page D01
Nose tackle Joe Salave'a arrived at Redskins Park by 11 a.m. yesterday, grimly walking into the training facility with his playbook. It was an ominous sign, since the Redskins were in the midst of releasing 14 players in anticipation of tomorrow's deadline for reducing the roster to 65. Salave'a departed the training facility an hour later, carrying several boxes of sneakers. When the sixth-year veteran was approached by reporters suspecting his release, Salave'a said he wasn't going anywhere.
"You guys know something I don't know?" Salave'a said, chuckling.
Others -- most notably veteran linebacker Kevin Mitchell and wide receiver Cliff Russell -- got the news they were no longer part of the team's plans.
Coach Joe Gibbs and Gregg Williams, assistant head coach-defense, have made some surprising releases, starting with middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter over the summer. But none among yesterday's slew of roster casualties was surprised by the club's decisions.
"I've been expecting it the way things have been going," Mitchell, a 10-year veteran, said yesterday after handing in his playbook. "It kind of prepared me for it."
Mitchell -- who played in Washington the past four seasons -- started preseason as the backup to middle linebacker Mike Barrow. Mitchell had dropped to third string behind Antonio Pierce by the second preseason game.
"I wish I could have been here," Mitchell said, "because I think there are going to be some good things that happen this year."
One factor in Mitchell's release is that he lacked the speed that Williams prefers in his linebackers. Mitchell, 33, enjoyed his best season in 2001, when he posted a career-high 82 tackles.
Mitchell was uncertain whether he will continue his NFL career, saying he intends to spend time with his wife, Denise, and 1-year-old son, Jonathan. He and his wife are also expecting a baby girl in January.
"I've been doing football for a long time," said Mitchell, who this offseason signed a one-year contract worth the league minimum $785,000, including a $25,000 bonus. "I just need to take a day or two to relax and chill out with the family."
The Redskins delayed revealing an official list of released players until today because a few couldn't be contacted. "We want to make sure they hear it from us," Gibbs said.
As is customary in the league, the team attempted to trade some of its roster cuts before they were officially released. According to sources, the Redskins tried to move Mitchell to the Seattle Seahawks, who have lost middle linebacker Chad Brown for four games. Another player the Redskins first tried to trade was punter Kevin Stemke, sources said.
Russell received the bad news at 1 p.m. after departing church in Sterling, by retrieving a voice mail from Redskins scout Mike Kelly.
"One man's trash could be another person's treasure," said Russell, a third-round pick in the 2002 draft who missed his entire first season with a knee injury and was inactive for 13 games last year. "I still feel very hungry to play football. There's no hard feelings toward the Redskins. I'm very thankful. They've been very patient with me throughout all the injuries I've had."
Russell had a slim chance to make the roster, especially with the receiving corps being the team's deepest unit. Russell's chances also were hurt by a hamstring injury during camp.
Mitchell and Russell were no different than the other cuts who arrived yesterday with their playbook and departed with black plastic bags filled with belongings. Among the other players released were defensive back Ryan Clark, defensive tackle Nic Clemons, wide receiver Scott Cloman, cornerback Michael Hall, nose tackle Norman Heuer, wideout John Standeford, linebacker Bill Strother and defensive lineman Greg White.
By tomorrow at 4 p.m., Washington must reduce its 90-man training-camp roster to 65, not including 11 exemptions for NFL Europe. The roster must be set at 53 by Sept. 5, not including an eight-man practice squad.
Gibbs has evaluated players during four weeks of training camp and four preseason games. In Friday's 28-3 drubbing by the St. Louis Rams, the Redskins gave significant time to players on the bubble. The most difficult decisions will occur next week when Gibbs must cut key players in competitions among reserve tailbacks and H-backs. But Gibbs viewed the first cuts as excruciating as the final ones.
"I hate the process," Gibbs said last night before leaving Redskins Park. "We've got guys that have worked [their] guts out. To me, that's the worst part of what we do."
Redskins Notes: Defensive end Phillip Daniels (abdominal strain) intends to make his preseason debut in the finale Friday against the Atlanta Falcons. "I hope I can get in the game to get some contact before the season starts," Daniels said. . . . After hurting his neck in a freak accident lifting weights last week, right guard Randy Thomas isn't certain he will practice today, but expects to play Friday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ar ... Aug29.html
Seriously, why would anyone trade for Stemke? Everyone knows he's going to be cut.